Protector of the Enchanted

It all started in a time where the world had only just begun, not in the literal sense but in the meaningful one. Before then, the world was bleak and without colour, its inhabitants just passing the day by lazing around. Their lives were without meaning or purpose, all felt empty.

 

Legend says that in another world, someone of great prophetic abilities predicted the events that followed. Or to be more specific, two people. They were believed to bear the last name Grimm. This doesn’t really seem to be justified as what the prophesised was anything but. There were other such people who wrote the stories of our world, their names now forgotten.

 

Their predictions came true when the seven founding families had their stories play out. These stories were legendary and started an era filled with colour and motivation in the world. From them, came many more stories rooting from their influence. In another world, it has been said that they are classified as fairy tales, and maybe it would seem so.

 

Each of them had a relic, passed on or kept in a safe in their homes. Beauty’s rose, stemming from the princess who had been asleep for a hundred years, with a rose that never withers. The wand of a fairy godmother who helped a lone girl find her fate. The mirror of a queen who had once tried to murder her stepdaughter. And other such things that aid the telling of our stories.

 

No one knew of their power at first, not even the founders themselves. They believed them nothing but heirlooms to pass through the ages. Not even when those they encountered led stories of their own did, they questioned this thought. Stories of children in candy houses, of wood puppets coming to life, and little girls defeating wolves.

 

Though these relics are powerful, it has been said that they have only been used once, when their power was at last realised. Beginning with a journey to find what they’d lost, what they thought they had. They encountered two beings even more ancient than them, who chose to live in seclusion due to the trouble their presence may bring. They needed their help to find their treasure.

 

Although the founders began the reign of peace, it seems that they were not as selfless as one would believe. Their selfish actions led to a tragic event, one that caused despair to all that saw it. It seems that life needs to find a balance, so with their light also came darkness.

 

When it seemed that the journey would be more dangerous than anticipated, they foolishly believed the danger would pass. Against the advice of their companions, they decided to go on. No one knows what exactly transpired there, but all know why the relics were used and how its power was realised.

 

The companions were in fact a couple, deeply in love if the legends are to be believed. In whatever transpired, it ended with man being deeply wounded. The woman distraught by his possible death wept so much that her tears fell on the relics laying on the ground. They’d been tossed carelessly in the chaos.

 

She is believed to have been blessed by the faerie queen and as she wept, her wish was granted. The details have been forgotten over the years and her wish unknown, all that is known is that it was granted. After this, the faerie queen herself realised this power and what her blessings could mean. So, she chose not to bless anyone who had darkness in their future. The relics were put in a safe place so their power would not fall into the wrong hands.

 

Those that had witnessed the wish never spoke of it as if bound by a solemn vow. Many believe that her wish had something to do with one she loved. However, the couple was never seen again, so none can be completely certain. That was the one and only time that the story was never written. The identities of the couple remain a secret to all but the founders themselves.

 

Silence follows the ending of the story, but it’s soon interrupted by the snores that slowly fill the room. They’ve all fallen asleep. Gem seems to have as well. The air seems somewhat heavier as if a dark cloud has been cast upon it. The only one not asleep, aside from me, is the man who had been standing in the corner. He’s disappeared again.

 

I don’t dwell on that for long. My mind is preoccupied by what I heard. More importantly by the feeling it brought out. A sense of wrongness. It feels wrong. Like the entirety of their legend is based on lies. Which wouldn’t surprise me if true, legends barely ever tell the truth, even if they weren’t distorted through generations.

 

Something else bothers me too. He said all light comes with darkness, something that seems so very familiar. Just as when Gem said it. I feel like I’ve heard that before, but I can’t quite remember where…

 

The fairy tale part is odd as well. I don’t believe for a second that the Grimm brothers were prophets. It’s much more likely they were from here and got taken to another world. It happened to me, so there’s no reason why it couldn’t happen to others. I can also see how someone would want to profit on events of their world when stranded in another with no way home.

 

Perhaps I would have done the same if I didn’t have Gem. There are certainly events on earth that could be taken to be stories. Both horror and otherwise. However, it hardly matters in this world if its inhabitants choose to benefit from their history in another world.

 

Before my thoughts can take me on another tangent, Gem jostles awake. Her eyes seem tired as they turn towards me, I think she may have drunk a little too much. However, her alcohol tolerance is impressive since it took this long for symptoms to kick in.

 

“Let’s go home!” She exclaims dragging me to the door.

As we reach the door, I look back to see that not one person even twitched at her loudness. They must really be out of it.

 

“You’re drunk.” I state, catching a whiff of her.

 

“I am not!” She protests, “Just a teeny tiny bit tipsy.”

 

“You said teeny tiny. And tipsy is another word for drunk.” She just glares at me and then drags me out the door, albeit a little unsteadily.

 

A short while into our walk, I realise something. Something important. It’s too far to go back to the house, especially when Gem’s barely able to walk straight as it is.

 

“Gem…” I start, “Where are we going to stay?”

 

“Don’t worry, it’s all under control, I know a place.”

 

“What kind of place?” All her places seem a little weird.

 

“A nice and warm place where there’s quiet.”

 

“What’s the matter?” I ask with a grin, “Getting a headache?” She ignores that and just continues on her mission to drag me into the woods.

 

Once again, I’m astounded by her choice of place. It’s a house right in the middle of the woods. Again. If this is how houses in this world are, then it’s little wonder so many fairy tales are filled with this scenario. It does lead credence to my theory of interdimensional travel.

 

Since she’s drunk and probably won’t remember this conversation, I decide to ask her a question I’ve been wondering. “Gem. Do you know that man standing in the corner was?” He’s a been a right pain. Maybe she knows him.

 

“What man?” She questions, scrutinizing me, even as she stumbles. I catch her before she can fall. “No one was standing in any corner.”

 

What? “But there was. He was standing near the back wall.”

 

She shakes her head, “Are you ok, Rose? I looked there multiple times and didn’t see anyone.” My head hurts. Maybe he was already gone by the time she looked there.

 

But he was there till the end. You saw him.

 

True.

 

And her not seeing him would explain why he seemed so surprised that you could.

 

I decide to ignore my subconscious on that one. I don’t really want to think about that right now. So, instead I focus on making sure Gem doesn’t get herself killed as we make our way into the house.

 

A woman sat crouched over a dying man, weeping so much that the man’s heart broke. He raised a weak hand to wipe her tears, but that only seemed to make them worse. In her grief, she didn’t see the tears touch the relics at her feet. The sources of her pain putting them there as a small show of atonement. It just wasn’t enough, although she knew that the foolish people had meant well, the grief was far too consuming.

 

“Don’t leave me,” She whispered in between her tears, “Please don’t leave me. I need you.”

 

“I’ll try not to, love,” He answered with agonised breaths.

 

He could see her heart being torn into a million pieces as she listened, her tears refusing to stop. “Live. Please live. That is all I wish for in this moment, all that I have and will ever wish for.”

 

At her last words, a blinding light engulfed the area as the Queen of the fairies appeared in front of her. A figure wrapped in red standing majestically beside her.

 

“I have heard your wish and know you to be blessed.”

 

She only heard the first words of the sentence, “Does this mean you can save him?”

 

“Yes.” The figure in red stated, “But at a price. All light comes with darkness, and although these relics have granted your wish, the cost is not small.”

 

With no hesitation the woman replied, “I’ll pay it. Whatever the price, just save him.”

 

“Dear child, he is at death’s door, the price will be your life for his, are you willing to pay it still?”

 

“Absolutely.”

 

“No!” The man exclaimed, but it was too late, his wounds were slowly healing themselves. Her life force was weakening. Before the wounds could fully heal, the figure stopped in her tracks. Although, the price had to be paid, this seemed a little too cruel. She would give them a moment at least before she collected in full.

 

“Love, why would you do that? How can you believe that I can live in a world with you gone?”

 

The woman felt very weak, but still voiced the only reason she had, “I love you. And people do crazy things when they’re in love.”

 

He clutched her hand to his heart, tears welling up in his eyes, as he turned to the figure in red.

 

“There has to be another way. A way the wish can be undone.”

 

“There is no way to undo a wish, she willingly gave her life.”

 

“Then there has to be a way she can live again. Please find a way for her to live.” He held her to him, not willing to let her out of his sight. His breathing laboured as her head rested on his chest.

 

She thought for a moment, considering, before an answer came to her. “There is no way to undo this, but there may be a way for you both to live. You would need to sleep for a thousand years in a state of perpetual death yet not truly so. In this way, although her wish will be granted, her soul may be able to be reborn.”

 

“Why a thousand years?” Questioned the weakened woman.

 

“Because child, only a thousand years would be able to go against a granted wish. It takes at least that long for souls to be recycled.”

 

“I’ll pay that price.” The man stated. No hesitation.

 

“No, you can’t. You’ll lose a thousand years.”

 

“A thousand years without you is not worth living.” He replied. She smiled at him weakly.

 

“Oh…” The woman in red exclaimed, “You’ll also need to do one other thing for this to be possible.”

 

“What?”

 

“You’ll need to fulfil the prophecy.”